The present disclosure relates to fluid tanks, and particularly to a tank providing a hydraulic fluid reservoir. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a filter for use in a hydraulic fluid tank.
Fluid filters are used onboard vehicles and in other apparatus containing fluid transport systems to remove unwanted solids or other contaminants from the fluid. Hydraulic fluid filters are used to clean hydraulic fluid use in hydraulic vehicle systems.
For application such as transmissions, an external cooler is used to cool the transmission fluid. The transmission includes a pump for distributing the transmission fluid to transmissions components. A primary filter is typically arranged within the transmission and filters the transmission fluid prior to entering the pump, which then distributes the transmission fluid to the transmission components. The transmission fluid flows from the transmission component directly to the transmission cooler. The transmission cooler is typically integrated with other coolers such as a radiator, which is often used to cool both engine coolant and engine oil. In the event of a catastrophic failure of a transmission component, debris will enter the transmission cooler thereby ruining it. As a result, the entire radiator must be replaced, which is very expensive.
A fluid filtration system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a filter receiver located in a fluid reservoir housing and a replaceable filter module adapted to mount in the filter receiver. The filter receiver is formed to include a filter chamber sized to hold a filter media included in the filter module. Hydraulic fluid filtered by the filter media in the filter chamber is discharged into a fluid reservoir located in the fluid reservoir housing and outside of the filter receiver.
Fluid extant in the filter chamber of the filter receiver and in the fluid reservoir are maintained in a relatively low-pressure environment in the fluid reservoir housing. This low-pressure filtered fluid is pumped from the fluid reservoir and conducted to a “fluid user” (e.g., power steering system) onboard, for example, a vehicle. Fluid discharged by the fluid user is returned to the fuel reservoir housing and filtered as a result of exposure to the filter media in the filter chamber.
The filter module includes a connector coupled to the filter media. The connector is configured to mate with the filter receiver to retain the filter media in a proper position in the filter chamber. The filter module can be removed from the filter receiver and replaced.
Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description of various embodiments which illustrate the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.